saith: 'The world is transitorie; of that therfor with honeste provide
to the althynges necessary, forwhi the cours of lif is but short.'
Another saith: 'The world is as a transitorye brigge, therfor bihold
it nat. The world is a stable brigge whos entre is the wombe of
the Moder and deth shalbe thissue of the same'."[1]
A versifiour saith: 'Deth is a yaate openyng and shewyng al erthely thynges bi the wey; but I seeke after this whiche is the house of habundaunce.' Ther is an house of delices to goddis seruauntis and ther is an house of derknes to theym that deserven peynes.'[2]
The Arab asked his father: "How can I acquire the home of
delights and the fame of that one?" The father: "Whatever dear
and precious things you possess, deposit them for safe-keeping there
and when you come thither, they will be ready for you." The son:
"How can I entrust money to a house, the door of which I can not
yet find?" The father: "Hear what the son of the king's counsellor
did after his father's death." The son: "Father, tell me and I will
not refuse to follow your counsel." The father: "A certain king
had a wise counsellor and servant, who at his death left a young
heir well instructed in the ways of court life. To him he left his
entire estate which was large, and an abundance of riches and then
died. After this the king summoned the boy to him and informed
him of the death of his father, that he might not grieve more sorely,
and whatever the father by his testament left under his control
for the son he assured him of, and in addition he promised that he
would take him into his father's place when he became of age.
Thereupon the youth bade the king farewell and joyously went to
his own home. The king then forgot about him, and he was in no
haste to return to the king. After a long time, the people in the district
in which the boy lived began to be in such great want that
they were in danger of death by famine. The youth saw this and
he was much grieved in spirit, because he was of a generous nature,
and so he emptied his granaries and distributed the contents among the
poverty-stricken people; he also gave bountifully of his stock of wine
and meat to those in distress. And as the suffering increased his decreasing
resources were not sufficient to supply the wants of the needy.
And afterwards, though he did not hesitate to give his fortune for grain.
so as to save the lives of the laboring people from hunger and thirst
as much as he could, that was still not sufficient. He did the same
thing with his clothes and jewelry. And thus the period of a year
passed in which he rescued many people from the very jaws of death.
There was also in the same locality a certain amanuensis of the
king, who filled with envy towards the youth, was secretly stirring
- ↑ The translator has omitted a few important words in the original and thus made the meaning somewhat confusing (see I, 41, l. 19), Alius: Saeculum et quasi pons; transi ergo, ne hospiteris. Et alius: Saeculum est quasi pons instabilis: cuius introitus est matris uterus, et eiusdem mors erit exitus.
- ↑ The rest of the connecting dialogue in the Latin (see I. 41, l. 25 and 42) and the immediately following tale (No. XXIX, The Wise Son of the King's Counsellor) are omitted from the English.
